Month: March 2017

Matthew 25:14-30 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey… 19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.

Followers of Jesus believe He will return to give us eternal life in His kingdom. But what does it look like to be ready for His return? How does Jesus want us to live while we wait for that moment? Does how we live before Jesus’ returns matter? What are we supposed to do with the life God has given us? We took a look at those questions this past weekend.

In Matthew 24-25 Jesus teaches what to expect before his return. He also talks about the importance of being ready for it before it happens and what that looks like. In the parable of the talents he contrasts readiness with failure to be ready. Here is some of what we learned

BOTTOM LINE: Jesus Gives Us the Chance to Handle Kingdom Treasure and Holds Us Accountable for What We Do with It!

Waiting can be a challenge! We don’t mind it if the wait isn’t too long and what we like what we are waiting for. Our certainty about what we wait for also impact how we feel about it. While we wait anticipation builds or sometimes anxiety. How we feel about what we are waiting for impacts what we do while we wait.

Ask yourself: What would you do if a spouse or other family member has been out of town for work and you are waiting for them to return? What about if you moved away from home for first job after college waiting for parents to come visit. What if you messed up at school and waiting outside the principal’s office for his other meeting to finish. Waiting for a Christmas gathering it different than for results of a medical test or a court date. What about waiting for Jesus’ return?

Does how we live before Jesus’ returns matter? What are we supposed to do with the life God has given us? We are going to look at those questions this weekend.

Matthew 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Last weekend we looked at an illustration Jesus gave to show why we should think about getting ready and what it does & doesn’t look like. It is likely more important than you might think at first. Here are the big points in case you weren’t able to join us. You can find the parable in Matthew 25:1-13. To get the whole flow of the teaching it would be good to read all of chapters 24 and 25.

Make Sure You Are Ready for Jesus’ Return!

Matt. 7:21-22 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This is the key contrast in the illustration Jesus gives. The foolish think they are ready but are not. The wise make sure they are ready. The foolish virgins come out like everyone else. They are hanging out with the wedding guests. They have every opportunity to be part of the wedding feast. As it turns out being in the room wasn’t enough.

The oil represents spiritual preparation. It is not outwards appearance of readiness that allows us to enter the kingdom of heaven but the genuine internal work of the Holy Spirit giving spiritual birth to the soul. The bridesmaids are the same in every way except the readiness with the oil. Are you ready for Jesus return?

Make Sure You Are Personally Ready for Jesus’ Return!

John 10:14-16 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

2Cor 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?

The foolish procrastinate hoping others will bail them out. The wise realize each must prepare their own heart. Though it seems mean the wise women understand that some preparation cannot be shared. The plan of the foolish women was like those who fail to study for a test hoping someone will let them cheat off of their paper instead. They planned to cheat on the test by sitting near the smart kid. Jesus won’t accept that. Each one must get personally ready through their own response to Him.

In John 10 Jesus mention THE sheep and HIS sheep. They are not the same. He died on the cross for THE SHEEP. Sadly many of THE SHEEP do not repent and believe. Those who do are born spiritual and become HIS SHEEP. Only HIS SHEEP are prepared for his return and will enter His eternal kingdom. Are you ready for Jesus’ return?

Make Sure You Are Personally Ready for Jesus’ Return ASAP!

Heb 3:7-8 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness,

Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The foolish think there will be time to get on track later. The wise prepare NOW since they don’t know how much time they have. This one speaks for itself. In the illustration the foolish women try to get ready after the fact but it is too late. Jesus is telling us it will be just like that at his return. The due date will not be pushed back once it comes. For those who are ready it will be a day of joy. For those who are not, it will be the biggest “O CRAP!!” moment in human history. You have to ask yourself, “what am I waiting for?”

Are your ready for Jesus’ return? Join us this coming weekend as we continue to look at what it means to be ready.

Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

It’s time for a movie quiz: who said this? What movie is it from?

“May the force be with you”

“You can’t handle the truth!”

“Make My day!”

“Make it so”

“So let it be written, so let it be done”

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse”

“We aren’t in Kansas anymore”

“I’ll be back!!”

I’m sure you got Arnold in the Terminator movies for the last one. But someone even more powerful said it first. Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God. According to the Bible, Jesus after a time of waiting for people to get ready promised that He would return to complete His work of making all things new & right. The question is are we ready for that moment?

2Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Last weekend we dug deeper into Matthew 25:32-51. It emphasizes the importance of being ready for Jesus’ return and how that should impact our daily lives. Together, we discovered the attitudes of those who are ready in contrast to those who are not. Here are the core points from that lesson. As always you can grab the full lesson at www.parkviewfamily.com.

The BOTTOM LINE is that we should Expect Jesus’ to Return Unexpectedly.

Jesus’ return is certain. Its timing in uncertain. The question is whether you be ready?

Live as a Follower Who Looks to Jesus’ Return.

Rev. 3:3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

Matthew 24:32-33 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.

There are a lot of things we prepare for as we go through life. Some are good; some are bad. Some are planned and predictable; others are not. We get ready for a birthday party, Christmas and Easter dinner. Get ready for school, work, and bed. We get ready for trips, bad weather. We even get ready for unexpected danger with things like seat belts, insurance, and wills.

God gave us His word so we could get ready for eternity. Get ready for meeting Jesus face to face, for final judgment. For Jesus’ return. We have been looking at one of the longest passages of Jesus talking about his return and the condition of the world before that happens. My hope is that it will help all of us live with readiness for that moment.

Whenever Christ followers think of end times, our hearts often quicken—partly out of joy, yet also out of fear. The hard part is that we won’t know when we are at the end until we are at the end. But the uncertainty of dates isn’t what troubles us most. It’s the wondering about what to expect right before His return AND what comes after.

Last week we took a closer look at Jesus’ specific answer to the questions about what to expect before His return. Here are the main points we considered.

Jesus Warns that the Darkest Period of Human History Comes Before His Return.

Matt. 24:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

It will be an intensification of what has been happening already. The Bible calls it many things including “the great tribulation” Daniel’s 70th week, Revelations final spiritual battle and outpouring of wrath. Wars, disasters, & persecutions will be at their worst. The trouble will be so bad none could survive without God’s intervention.